Happy Birthday Mango Flavored Addiction!

Yup...Believe it or not, Mango Flavored Addiction is one year old. (Awww!) One year (and one day...oops, sorry) ago, Juicy Got Bored and Got a Blog. I don't know what exactly to give a blog for its birthday, (maybe a makeover, or perhaps some better content?) But I'm sure I'll think of something. In the Spirit of OSKs post, it only seems fitting that I use this post to reflect on all the changes that have taken place since MFA came to be...

1. The most obvious change over the past year is the type of content. MFA has seen both long, serious pieces in the past, short silly pieces more focused towards the blog buddies, and some more recent and more personal pieces. I don't really know what I would like to have more focus on, but chances are I will change my mind once I decide it anyway, so oh well.

2. My relationship with the blog buddies: around this time one year ago, DrK and I had a variety of strange late-nite induced AIM convos, Gavrich and I chatted casually, OSK was more a friend of a friend (or maybe not...can't really remember), and I didn't think I would ever talk to Vertical ever again. We also all used to check our blogs and comment religiously. (I miss that!)Now, DrK and I have slightly more sane conversations, Gavrich and I are and fellow travel buddies (yes, he went to senior parties!), OSK is one of my closest friends, as is Vertical whom I will hopefully keep up with even in college. Whod'a thunk it.

3. The Blog Buddies themselves: around this time one year ago, Drk was still a manwhore, but a far more naive and inexperienced one. It was his ex that liked him back then, now thanks to her, well, she's his ex, but they are still awesome friends. Gavrich would have probably gasped if someone told him that he would be considering drinking at senior parties, or "letting lose" a little in college. (PS I'm still glad he didn't) OSK has a whole blog entry about how he's changed. (snap snap for the darker side) Vertical was a nice (?), naive and inexperienced little line who was still dealing with all the sad things that happen to people who are nice, naive and inexperienced, while eating a lot of his lunches by himself. In one year, he also found himself in the 6 person clique, being accessory raped by like 10 girls, and getting smashed at senior parties. (at which he and gavrich looked like total pimps for escorting up 3 very lovely ladies...if I do say so myself...) Whoaza.

4. Jay-Z

5. My Self: Yes, the Juicy one herself has also experienced many changes over the past year. At the beginning of my blogging career, I was still healing from Junior year's exertions, but still had a generally over achieving attitude that flowed a little into senior year...before I found myself in a 6 person clique, would rather chill in OSKs basement than do work (having sex, of course), got tortured, got bad grades, got into major disciplinary trouble, hated life, got emo. Who knew. Now I'm not really sure how much of an overachiever/happy person I am/ever was, but I guess we'll find out soon enough in college.

6. I gave TP guy a shot, plus I might be a relationship person after all...what?

7. I'm going to a women's college, who the hell saw that coming...

Anyway, that is my short and sweet reflection on my Juicy Life and this Juicy Blog in the past year. Hope you Mango Addicts enjoyed it as much as I did, see you next time. (maybe with a nicer layout)

The Road Trip: Part Deux...

So it seems every summer/major break we try to plan one of these and every summer/major break, it fails. But perhaps this time will be different? who knows...anyway, the Klingon and I have similar feelings about wanting to get out and about this summer, so here are some ideas:


* Visit me in Stratford (I still want to have a beach bonfire and burn all my papers)
*Spend the day in NYC (parents might want something more speciific...baseball game perhaps? random show? amusement park? filming of TV show?)
*six flags
*Ye Olde Swimming Hole
*Mission of Love: NY Style
*Visit Moose
*Visit Anne
*Visit Julie
*Visit Young (hey it was worth a shot...)
*Visit all of our friends in a giant circle
*Hang out on my dads (now) humungous boat
*Visit the eldest Z brother (and party it up)
*Go to Boston (see bball game/yell at certain admissions offices)
*Go to Rhode Island (see above, and then mooch off of OSK's having a house there)
*Use the laptop to have trek marathons in strange and unusual locations...(ok yeah that idea sucked...help me out here!)

A Time for Deep Reflection...

Seriously....so first my mom gives me a relatively new perspective on myself by calling me lazy (ok maybe she was right there...) and unhelpful, and accusing me of having an excessivley nonchalant/laid back attitude. In short, she made me feel like the spoiled brat I have always feared becoming. Glad to know your so happy with me mom. She also asked "where's the spark? the joie de vivre?" but then again, that's something i've been asking myself for awhile...maybe it'll creep back up in college, maybe not. I hope so, but of not whatever.... I should probably do more about this...but that brings us back to square one. I also have a strange aversion to obviously trying to impress people because I feel like a goody two shoes. If I'm ever doing something nice, one should generally avoid complimenting me. So now even if I wanted to be more "helpful" I would feel wierd doing it. Anyway, so as if I'm not already feeling mehh-enough about myself, TP kid starts directly hitting on me and I full frontal Spazz. Seriously, ask DrK, he said I was acting like a little girl. So while I'm worrying about the quality of person I am, we can also wonder why I am obviously severly undeveloped in certain areas and have the emotional maturity of an 8 year-old. Once we've figured that out, I can ask the doctor to take another look at the strange lump on my neck that my mom keeps bugging me about (just when I had once and for all overcome my infamous cancer-based hypochondria) and wonder why my left ring finger now cramps up whenever I type. Perhaps I should try meditation...

Juicy Update

So once again today I found myself on a severly delayed train heading south from spending Friday night with the blog buddies, (for those of you unaware, we all live in the same tiny ass state but I live about an hour away. Said tiny ass state has horrible public transportation.) and spent about five hours trying to get home by train when the drive is only a little over and hour. (yeah, really gotta get on that whole license thing and yes I can drive dammit!) Though spending an entire day travelling (or worse: waiting to travel) is not the best way to pass time, I did find myself in the company of some interesting strangers. Namely: Jeff, a gay bartender at a club I know of who also works with autistic children. He just broke up with his boyfriend, so we talked about feelings. It's nice to know I'm not the only person who thinks they had the worst year ever. The night before this encounter, while I was watching an episode of That 70s Show in which Eric and Donna break up but still go on a date together, Jeff and his former partener John were actually doing this. The evening resulted in him getting flowers thrown at him and a drunken argument, but hey, at least they did it in comfy millenium sneakers instead of clogs. I mean really, I love the 70s....but clogs?

I also met a flight attendant and an odd Auntie and her nephew (both very nice and interesting people) and saw someone who looked exaclty like my middle school crush from behind. (Seriously, they had the same hair and walk and everything...I stopped and stared for like 5 min until he turned around and turned out be like 20 something)

If the scariest thing DrK has ever seen is me driving, then the second scariest thing he will ever see is probably me being put in a position of responsibility. Yes ladies and gentlemen, Juicy got a job. Well...she almost got a job. She was going to be hired by a pizza place (i kid you not) 5 min away from her house and it sounded great, but they only wanted her on weekends and her dad apparently needs her on the boat. Mehh, there goes that offer. I want a real job dammit, and if experience has taught me anything these are not easy to come by. The hunt continues...

In other news, the universe has been freakishly responsive to my previous blog post in the form of TP guy, except I will probably never see him again. Mission of Love to NY, anyone? (except not cuz that would be creepy, even for me and I'm the one going there...) Oh, and I'm also slowly but surley redecorating my room and have become hooked on Star Trek. Yes, I said it. After such exposure, Resistance was Futile. (But I still reserve the right to mock you all for knowing wayyyy too much about those Shows/Movies/Mini Series/ that Media Enterprise, even if it is cool.)

Random Shout outs to Brandy. (who will probably never read this) Good luck with your stalker. You have a cool name which vertical should sing to you about, (Brandy! You're a fine girl! What a good wife you would be...But my life, my love, and my Lady is the SEAAAA!) and document so I can laugh at it. To conclude this evening's update of events, there is a slight risk of me being a horrible person, but other than that the weather is looking good for the next few days. Over and Out.

Happy Birthday Little Blonde One!!!

OK, so I was unable to get my very good friend a birthday present and cannot do something in person because she lives in Canadia, thus, I have dedicated a blog post to her. Happy Birthday Randi. I think you're turning 16- enjoy the most overrated year of your life (at least that's what it was for me, I'm sure yours will be alot better) and your pretty blonde hair.

Since I talk about feelings and emo-ness with Randi a lot, It is only fitting that this blog post do the same. For the past couple of days, I have had the strongest urge to have a huge chic-flickathon. Love Actually, the American Pies (esp #2! yes, it is a chic flick), maybe some Amelie or Accepted, (wow, lots of As there...) all watched cuddled up on the couch with lots of chocolate and a box of tissues. Sadly (or maybe fortuitously?) there is no nearby functioning DVD player so instead I settled for VH1's "40 Most Softsational Soft Rock Songs" (Cuz I can't fight this feeling anymore! Yes I've forgotten what I started fighting for!) which managed to mock all of the emo out of me. You see, society does not look happily on honest, strong emotions. When someone comes on very strong, it's often viewed as creepy, or a load of bull shit to just get the other person in bed. (this is especially true if the person coming on is a guy) From my experience, caution usually pays off, as the emo-ness is usually either the latter, or the result of little other emotional experience. (then again, that also just goes to show you what little experience I've had. Blogging Rule #3- If my advice fucks you over, it's not my fault. You have my condolences.) As time goes on, the more experienced people become, the more they see dating and relationships as more of a game than a deep emotional pursuit. (the epitome of this being Sex And the City) Everyone at least partially wants the honest emo that is so often shunned, but everyone is groomed to be excesssivly cautious and not get hurt. It is here where I am tempted to divide the world into a bipolar spectrum- Relationship people (who are more open and intouch with their inner emo, often searching for just a few deep relationships) and Non-Relationship people (who more prefer a variety of shorter, less meaningful affairs with far less emo). NR leaning people are not necessarily more eexperienced or in denial, they just have other prorities, or know better than to look for a deep relationship at a that point in time. Ok yeah no shit Juicy that's not rocket science, but I'm getting to my point. (and I never really liked physics anyway...) My point is that I always thought I leaned more towards the non-relationship side of the spectrum, and I am sure that after more cyncial life experience that is where I will be (or hopefully at some point in college cuz I really don't want to waste my precious college years in a serious relationship) but the more I think about it, yearn for my fav chic flicks, and compare myself to others, the more I am starting to think I might lean more towards the relationship side of the spectrum after all. That isn't to say that a one night stand is totally off limits (cuz that was pretty satisfying) but I guess if there was more on the plate id take that too.

You may wonder why it took Juicy so long to come out of the closet about such a simple matter, but like I said, society frowns on honest, strong emotions. Not to mention the more desperate for love you are, the far easier it is for people to take advantage of you. (I'm referencing all those horrible match.com adds, BS psychics, and internet predators) Ever since I was little, my mom told me a guy will say anything to get a girl in bed, and sadly enough i've rarely met people that have proven otherwise. If you just wanna screw, tell me and save me the trouble, please. That's probably how I can justify calling a movie like American Pie 2 (best known for Stiffler's gigs and a lesbian sex scene) a chic flick- the guy chooses someone he cares abiout over the girl he just wants to fuck.

Now I feel I've shared quite enough of my inner emo for today, so I will go to the ghettos of Stratford in search of a "real job." Oh, and here's a juicy fact: they've supposedly developed a pill for pregnant women to take to prevent their children from being homosexual. Bull shit. I'd say damn extremists love your kids for who they are, but then again I'd also say abort a handicapped kid, and that opens up a whole new can of worms.

Blog Post #50 and Happy Graduation Juicy!!!

So it seems we have stumbled across two very important milestones...the fiftieth (so small, yet so large) blog post on Mango Flavored Addiction and the highschool graduation of yours truly. (not to mention the funnest week ever with more milestones, maybe ill tell you about that later, if you're nice to me.)

graduation was fun...I mean really, you get to wear a pretty dress, get told how smart you are, and feel special for a day. After graduation was even more fun, because 2 of your best buds spend the night at your house, then go with you and more of your buds to party it up in VT and Sharon, CT over the course of 2-3 days. (They also take foreshadowing pit stops in Northampton, take advantage of their spanish speaking abilities, wear bags over their head, meet really cool limo drivers, are deprived of donuts, have deep drunken conversations, have lots of sex, pee in random places, watch Star Trek, and name their hypothetical children. As for me, I just took a faceplant into the bushes.) Reunion anyone? you bet!

Once I had slept for 16 hours and somewhat recovered from the aforementioned excursions, I spent a day with my friend exploring the new town I live in and getting my nails done/eating a humongous sandwhich that fed me for 2 days. I also considered trying to make new friends in the ghettos of Stratford, but they would probably shoot me.

After this, despite graduating and all, I once again found myself on school grounds. Except this time I was spending the night, along with the rest of the Chess Club, at OSK's house in celebration of the end of the year for all our underformer friends. (haha you still have to go to boarding school...) This being-on-campus did not disturb me though, because I could walk around campus at 4am and not get in trouble, drive without signing out, etc. etc. We also went quasi-skinny dipping (It was very awesomely old school.), drank energy drinks (what else is new?), played lots of pool, ran around a field screaming, were circled by a minivan (that I tried to jump into) and watched Anne climb on top of a bus.

As you can see, this isn't much of a blog post. It is more like a random list of events that, for the first time in awhile, I would just like to remember. And I think there might be a few more to come too, Which is why I am thinking of starting journaling again. You see, starting the summer before 7th grade up until 9th grade, I was actually a really intensive artistic journaler. (sounds so cool, I know) And I think I might take it up again to document this summer and my college years. The thought also occured to me on the last day of classes, when, despite his class being the bane of my existence, my philosophy teacher gave us some useful life lessons that I plan on sticking too so I can live a more meaningful life. I don't know what this means for Mango, but hopefully I will find some way to balance both, and this will definitley not be the last post.

But wait, did Juicy just say she actually learned something? Yes, despite slacking off more this year than she has in awhile, Juicy actually learned a lot. And seeing as I am now a highschool graduate, I can legitimatley pass on to you Mango Addicts a few of the critical life lessons I have learned this year (despite the fact that I stopped doing the reading in winter.)

1. In the present one must simply accept that not everyone gets what they want or deserve. Life is sometimes merely a series of actions and reactions with no sympathetic governing higher force. Infact, in the short term, Life is often a flaming shit hole. Deal with it. Karma is a long term thing, and something good will happen...eventually.

2. the tiniest things can have the biggest, most entirely disproportional and unjustified consequences.

3. the truth always comes out to somebody.

4. the following are physically impossible. No matter how many energy drinks you have they will not be accomplished, so do not even fool yourself into thinking they will happen:
- completeing the majority of the assigned reading and writing a paper for it in one day

- writing more than one general length paper in one day

- staying up all night and actually spending all night productivley working

- staying up all night and not falling asleep in class the next day without massive amounts of caffeinated gum.

-getting 3 major assignments done in one day, even if it is a free day

5. You are not invincible. You may well have finally screwed yourself over for the last time. Yes, It could happen to you.

6. Never say Never, ever. One night I thought to myself "wow, things could not possibly get any worse, I would almost be amused to see what fate could come up with to make my life even worse!" Guess what, it did. As I was talking to someone on the phone afterwards and explaining to them how my life now surly could not possibly get any worse, I looked out the window and usual damp spring weather had turned into a raging blizzard in about 15 min. I kid you not. Never say never. Ever.

7. If you really want something and beleive in it, fucking go for it. Accepting failure is better than perpetual false hope. And don't cop out half way, try to convince yourself it's not that important, or sit back and calculate and take the safe route. Sometimes the only way to get it is to just jump.

8. You should probly stop once you get into double digits...it's a delayed reaction. From now on, we shall no longer use the "T" word.

9. Hydration is next to Godliness.

10. Never use an Academy of Driving car. ever.

11. Amor Fati dammit.

12. Everyone's a little psycho inside.